Bottle filling and capping machine.



J. A. HICKS.

BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F|LED SEPT. 28. 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 19.15.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

llllrl I 2 ATTORNEY J. A. HICKS.

BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICAHGN man sEPT.28.19o9.

Lf. Patented Dec. 7, 19l5.

WIT/VESSES TTOH/VEY J. A. HICKS.

BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. I9o9.

LQTY. Patented Deo. 7', 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

3 L NQ I QJ I IIIII E.

IIIIIIII IO INI/EN TOR WIM/5385s WMV II'II Il" II 45 NJW 44. l1 II 53 /IroR/I/Ey J. A. HICKS.

BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPI'NG MACHINE.

APPLlcATIoN FILED SEPT. Le. |909.

5 SHEETS-SHEEV 4.

/N VE N 70H B y f O] Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

J. A. HICKS.

BOTTLE FILLING -IINLI CAI PIIIG MACHINE. v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1909.. LQ'Y, Patented Deo. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WIT/VESSES: I /NI/E/VTR my [gl/0am JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS, 0F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTO STOPPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammen nee. t, rais.

Original application led May 5, 190B, Serial No. 430,988. Divided and this application'nled September 28, 1909. Serial No. 520,019.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in B ottle Filling and Capping Machines, of which the followingy is a specification.

This invention is an improved bottle f illing and capping machine adapted for filling bottles with carbonated liquid, such for in stance as soda water, utilizing the air originally in the bottle to establish the required counter-pressure to prevent foaming so as to avoid the necessity of snifting into the outer air and hence enabling the bottle to be filled with carbonated liquid at substantially carbonator pressure, then capping the bottle while its contents are under such pressure and automatically discharging the confined air aft-er the cap is applied to the bottle and prior to the removal of the latter.

rIhe invention further provides a machine of this class which enables a bottle or like vessel to be partly filled with carbonated liquid against counter-pressure of air until the charge of carbonated liquid in the vessell is substantially equal to the pressure of such liquid in the carbonator, then completing the charging of the vessel with syrup under a pressure exceeding that of the carbonated liquid in the vessel and finally capping the bottle o-r vessel while its contents are under such pressure.

An object of the present invention is to effect improvements in the construction of the resistance post and the filling head.

A further object is to combine with the resistance post a filling head movablethereon and having a filling chamber and a bottle support movable with the filling head.

A further object is to effect improvements in the means for hermetically sealing the mouth of the bottle in the filling'chamber prior to filling the bottle.

A further object is to combine with the resistance post a cap holdingl and applying implement which is detachably connected thereto and operates in the filling chamber of the filling head to apply the cap to the vessel after the latter has been filled and while its contents are under pressure substantially equal to that in the carbonator.

'llhis invention is a division of my application for patent for improvements in pressure capping and filling machines filed in the United States Patent' Office May 5, 17908, and bearing Serial No. 430,988.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a front elevation of a bottle filling and capping machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a'detail elevation of the filling head and a vertical section of the air ,receiving and confining chamber and its connections. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the filling chamber and resistance post. Fig. 5 is a detail plan, partly in section on the plane indicated by the line a--a of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is partly a plan and partly a sectional view of the jaws for hermetically sealing the mouth of the bottle in the filling chamber. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the duct for conveying syrup to the bottle, and showing the valve therein in elevation. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the same on the plane indicated on the line y-jz/ of Fig. 7.

The standard l which may be of the form here shown or of any other suitable form has a section 2which is bolted to the upper end thereof and on the upper end of said section is a bracket 3 which has at its upper end a forwardly extending arm 4. A supporting bar 5 extends rearwardly from the lower end of said bracket. A vertical cylindrical resistance post 6 extends through a vertical opening in the bracket arm 4 and is secured by means of screws 7. Said resistance post has a vertical central bore 8 that extends therethrough and the lower portion of said post has a threaded opening. The upper end of said resistance post forms a seat for a ball valve 9 and is screw threaded to fit in a threaded opening in the base 10 of an auxiliary chamber 11, which auxiliary chamber is here shown as having a cover 12 screwed thereon. In said auxiliary chamber is a piston which comprises a disk 13 secured to the lower end of a screw threaded stem 14, a packing disk 15 of suitable elastic material which is placed on saiddisk 13 and an upper disk 16 which is secured to the lower crank 18 issecured to the upper end of the sleeve 17 and a crank 19 is secured to the 'upper end of the stem 14. When the crank 18 is held fixed and the crank 19 turned, the lower disk ofl the piston ap- -proaches the upper disk and compresses required. A connection 20 extends from one side ofthe base 4of the' chamber 11 and is vprovided with a vvalve 21 having an outwardly extending stem provided with a head 22, a spring 23 being employed which normally holds the valve in closed position. A sleeve which constitutes a filling head and is indicated bythe numeral 24 has a vertical central cylindrical bore corresponding in diameter with the resistance post and in which the lower portion of the resistance post is placed, soV that the said -sleeve while closely fitting on the resistance post is adapted to be moved vertically thereon. At the upper end of the sleeve or filling head is a packing gland 25 screwed thereto, and coacting with a suitable packing 26 to prevent leakage. The lower portion of the bore of the vfilling head is enlarged slightly difametrically andforms a filling chamber 27. The lower end of a bore 8 of the resistance post, terminates somewhat short of the bottom of the resistance post in radial arms or ports 28 which extend to the side or surface of said resistance post.l A very slight annular space is formed between the lower portion of the resistance post and the bore of the filling head which space serves for the passage of gas and air but prevents the passage of water and together with the bore 8 constitutes an air duct'that leads from the filling chamber 27 directly to the chamber 11, the valve 9 normally closing this duct. The filling head is provided on opposite sides with' upwardly extending oppositely inclined spuds 29, 30. suitable pressure gage 31 'is connected to the latter.

A connection 32l is attached to -the spud 29 and is provided with a check valve 33 which opens toward said spud and is normally closed by a spring 34. A pump 35 is mounted on the bar 5 and is'provided with an operating lever 36. Said pump; is connected by a pipe l37 to the valved connection 32. A reservoir 38 for 'flavoring -syrup is connected by a fiexible pipe 39.to the -connection 40 of the cylinder of the pump 35, said connection being in practice provided with a check valvewhich admits the passage of syrup from the reservoir-38 to the pump cylinder and closes in the reverse direction so that on each up stroke of the lever 3 6, syrup is drawn into vthe pump cylinder and on each down stroke oihsaid lever, syrup is forced through the pipe 37, valved connection 32 and spud 29 to the filling chamber and hence into `the bottle to `be filled. The said spud is provided" at its upper end with a connection 40 to which a carbonator or reservoir of soda water or other carbonated liquid maybe connected by means of a suitable fiex'ible tube. The said connection 40 has a valve 41 provided with an outwardly .extending stem 42 on which is a spring 43 which normally closes said valve.

At the lower end ofthe filling head is a device for grasping the neck of a bottle to be filled and causing the neck of the bottle to hermetically close the filling chamber. The said device comprises a fixed jaw 44 which is secured to the lower portion ofl the filling head and a lnovable jaw 45 which is pivoted to said fixed jaw as at 46. A cylindric'alrecess 47 is formed in the opposing sides of said jaws and they are also formed in their opposing sides with an opening 48 of sufficient diameter to receive the neck o'l the bottle and in the segmental recesses 47 of said jaws are packing segments 49, 50, respectively, which in practice are preferably made of rubber. The jaw 44 is provided with pairs of lugs 51 which are connected by vertical pins 52. The jaw 45 has a lever handle 53. A catch 54 is pivoted to said lever handle as at 55 and has a slot y keeps the catch in engaged position so as to lock the jaws 44, 45, together and compress the segments 49, 50, around the neck of a bottle.

An implement 58 for holding and applying av metal cap 59 is secured to the lower end of the resistance post by means of a threaded stud on the upper end of said mplement which screws into al recess in the lower end of the post, the implement and the cap which it carries being both disposed entirely within the filling chamber. This implement is here shown as provided with a plurality of Spring fingers 60 on the surface 'thereof I'and which depend therefrom and Serve to hold the cap and to so.

position the same that it is directly in line with the mouth of the bottle so that when the machine is operated, the said cap becomes applied to the bottle to seal the same.

A block 61 is connected to the standard section 2 for vertical movement thereon and is connected to the filling head by a bar 62` the said block `and the said filling head being thereby adapted to move simultaneously. The block 61 has a table 63 to support the bottle, the said table having a screw 64 depending from its lower side and engaging a threaded opening in the block so that the said table is adjustable toward and from the filling head to enable it to accommoda-te itself to bottles of various sizes. A

mesme set screw 65 is carried by thev block toen- Y gage the'screw stem 64 of the table and lock the vlatter at any desired adjustment.

A foot lever 66 is pivoted as at 67 to'one side of the base of the standard, extends through a vertical slot in the standard and is normally raised by'a spring which is located in the standard and is indicated in dotted lines at 68 in Fig. 2. A link lever 69 is pivotally mounted as at 7 0 in the standard and is connected by'a link'71 to the block 61. A pitman 72 is pivotally connected at its lower end as at 73 to the lever 66 and its upper end is connected to the link lever 69 by a pin 74 which may be inserted in any one of a number of adjusting openings 7 5 with which said link lever is provided so that the throw or extent of movement of the block 61 and bottle supporting table may be regulated at will.

A tappet 76 to operate the valve A21 is carried by a split ring 77 which is clamped by means of a screw 78 on the fillinghead Q4 at any desired adjustment. A pressure gage 7 9 is connected to the chamber 11.

The operation of my invention is as followsz-Assuming that a number of bottles of the same size are to be filled, the table 63 is first adjusted according to the size of the bcttle and theV piston 14 is also adjusted in the chamber 11 to regulate the capacity of said chamber according to the size of the bottle to be charged, the desired quantity of liquid to be placed in each bottle and the pressure of carbonated liquid in the carbonator or reservoir vessel. A cap having` been first placed between the jaws of the implement 58, a bottle is placed on the table 63 and with its head in the filling chamber 27. The neck of the bottle is then grasped between the jaws 44, 45, and tightly compressed by the packing segments in said jaws, and said jaws lock together by the catch 54 thereby causing the mouth of the bottle to hermetically close the filling chamber. The operator then opens the valve 41 and causes the carbonated liquid to flow from the carbonated reservoir through the` filling duct to the filling chamber and from the latter into the bottle. The air in the bottle is displaced by the charge of carbonated liquid as the latter flows into the bottle and the displaced air rises and passes through the air. duct 8, past the valve 9 and into the chamber 11 which receives and confines the air and causes the same to be compressed therein, the said vent duct constantly af. fording passage for the air from the filling chamber to the chamber 11, and the valve 9 only closing against the back pressure from said chamber 11. When the bottle has become charged to the required extent by the carbonated liquid, as predetermined by the adjustment of the piston 14, the pressure in the bottle will be substantially equal to the pressure in the carbonator and in the filling chamber and chamber 11 as will be indicated" by the gages 31 and 79. The operator then depresses the pump lever 86 and Vforces a charge of syrup from the pump into the bottle, through the filling chamber and the connection hereinbefore described against the counter pressure of the contents of the bottle and of the compressed air therein and in the filling chamber 27, thus completing the filling of the bottle and preventing foaming.

The operator then by means of the Vlever 66 forces the table, the bottle and the filling head upwardly and in so doing causes the mouth of the bottle to traverse and substantially entirely fill the filling chamber so as to still further increase the pressure in the bottle and as the bottle nears the conclusion of its stroke or movement toward the capping implement, the cap is forced onto 'the bottle and efiectually and permanently seals the same. At the conclusion of the capping operaton, the tappet 76 automatically engages the head of the valve 21 and opens such valve, thereby venting the compressed air from the chamber 11 into'the outer air. It will be observed and understood that at no time during the operation of filling and charged and capped. Hence the contents of a bottle charged by my improved machine are under a pressure substantially equal to that of the carbonated liquid in the carbonator. After the bottle has been thus charged and capped, it, together with the table and filling head are lowered to the initial position shown in Fig. 2, the jaws 44, 45, are opened and the bottle removed from the filling chamber. Owing to the fact that there was no foaming in the bottle, due to the pressure of the air in the filling chamber during the charging of the bottle and to the movement of the bottle mouth through the filling chamber during the capping operation, which constantly reduces the capacity of the filling chamber and forces the air therefrom into the chamber 11` discharge of liquid on the exterior of the bottle or the cap thereon as the bottle is taken out from the filling chamber will be reduced to a minimum, and the operator will not be annoyed by such discharge and waste of liquid and of gas is prevented.

The gage 31 indicates carbonator pressure. The gage 79 indicates the pressure in the chamber'll and the employment of the last-named ,gage facilitates the ladjustment of the piston 14 initially and also enables the operator to ascertain -Without observing the bcttles as they are being filled whether they l having a filling chamber hermetically closed by the mouth of the vessel to be filled, said chamber being provided With means disposed interiorly thereof and independent of the vessel to receive. -a Acap for the vessel prior to the introduction of the mouth of the vessel into said chamberand hold said cap in position for application to said vessel, a resistance post carrying the filling.` chamber, an air receiving and confiningv chamber also carried-by said resistance post and in communication With the filling chamber through a bore in said resistance post to receive air displaced from the vessel during the filling of the latter With carbonated liquid, means for moving the filling chamlber and vessel with respect to the resistance post to apply the cap to the vessel,' and means independent of the air receiving and confining chamber to automatically vent the air receiving and confining chamber at the end .of the movement of the fillingchamber and vessel.

2. A bottle filling and capping' machine having a filling chamber hermetically closed by the mouth of the vessel to be filled, means in said filling chamber to receive a cap to be applied to saidvessel, 'a resistance post carrying said filling chamber, an air receiving and confining chamber, a duct through said resistance -post leading from the filling chamber to the air lreceiving and confining chamber, Imeans to close said duct against back pressure from the air receivingand confining chamber, means for moving the filling chamber and vessel with respect to the resistance post for applying the cap to said vessel, and automatically acting means independent of said duct to vent the air receiving and confining chamber at the end of the movement of said filling chamber and vessel. f

3. A bottle filling and capping machine having a resistance post and a filling head, one movable With lrelation to the other, means. connected to the resistance post to hold a cap for application'to a bottle, an

air receiving and confining chamber carried by the resistance post and communicating with the filling head through a bore in said' resistance post, and 'means to support a bottle 1n proper posltion for .coperating with the resistance post and filling head sind bottle supporting means being connected to and' movable with the filling l 4. A vessel filling and capping machine of the class described having a filling chamber hermetically closed by the mouth of' the vessel to be filled, said chamber being provided With means disposed interiorly thereof and independent of the vessel to receive a cap or closure for the vessel and hold the same in position for application to said vessel, a resistance post carrying said filling chamber, an air receiving and confining chamber in communication With the filling chamber through a bore in said resistance post to receive air ldisplaced from the vessel during the charging of the latter with carbonated liquid, means for varyino` the capacity of said air receiving and con ning chamberV for predetermining the quantity of' liquid to be supplied to the vessel, means for forcing liquid into the vessel to complete the charging thereof against the pressure of the confined air, means for bringing the cap or closure holding means' into coperation with the vessel for applying the cap, and means serving to automatically vent the air receiving and confining chamber at the completion of the capping operation.

' 5. In a bottle filling and capping machine, the combination of a resistance post, means connected to the resistance post to hold a cap for application to the vessel, a filling head having a. bore receiving the resistance post, a chamber Within said filling head communicating with said bore, said filling head being movable longitudinally on said resistance post, an air receivmg and confining .chamber communicating with the filling chamber through a bore in said resistance post, a check valve between the filling chamber and said-air receiving and confining chamber, a bottle support connected to and movable with said filling head, and means for moving said bottle support and filling head with respect to the resistance post for applying the cap to the vessel.

6. A bottle filling and capping machine comprising a'resistance post, a filling head movable on the resistance post and having a filling chamber at one end of said post adapted to be closed by the mouth of the bottle to be filled, a cap-holding means at said end of the post and in said fillin chamber, means to force liquid into sai bottlel through the yfilling chamber, an air receiving and confining chambei` communicating with said filling chamber through a bore in the resistance post, a support for the bottle connected to and movable with the filling head,

means to move said support and fillinghead simultaneously, Y and by such movement, .force the mouth of the bottle 'into the cap, a valve to discharge from the air receiving chamber, and means carried by the filling head and actuated by the movement thereof to open said valve at the completion of the capping operation.

7. A'bottle filling and capping machine having a filling chamber adapted to be hermetically sealed by the mouth of the vessel to be filled, ya resistance p ost carrying said fllingchamber and having locatedat its -lower end and Within the filling chamber means for supportingl a cap or closure, an air receiving and confining chamber communicating With the filling chamber through a bore 'in said resistance post to receive air displaced from the vessel and filling chamber during the charging of said vessel With carbonated liquid, an adjustable piston or plunger Within the air receiving chamber for varying the capacity of said chamber for" predetermining approximately the quantity of liquid to be supplied to the vessel, means for moving the filling chamber and the lvessel With respect to the resistance post for applying the cap to the vessel, and means serving to automatically vent the air receiving chamber at the end of the movement of said filling chamber and vessel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN AUGUSTUS HICKS. Witnesses:

JAMES M. HICKS, LINCOLN A. STUART. 

